While many exhibits attempt to convey the horrors of war, the actual reality of military conflict is very difficult to communicate and thus lost to the viewer. What is also lost in conversations about war and terrorism is how we are to live our everyday lives while the media reminds us of the horrors being enacted in the world. Artistic expression can not avoid these issues. It is naïve to believe that an artist can create apolitical or non-ideological art, avoiding the realities of everyday life.
What is attractive about Natalia Laluq's work is the frankness she conveys in her paintings. She has the unique ability to express her vision using the familiar, using impressions of travel, familiar faces and landscapes. But behind all of the familiar and somewhat nostalgic imagery (many of Ms Laluq's works depict warm vibrant memories) breaking through is the horrors of violence, often distant and sensational.
So what is the connection between these seemingly incompatible images? In the summer of 2015, Laluq's visited
One can not convey a “middle ground" in these worlds of extreme opposites. The only possible common ground is mortality of the human body. Laluq has displayed great artistic flexibility and balance which has allowed her to approach this seemingly incompatible task. She has displayed the ability to “Zoom in and Zoom Out", going into the terror and horror and back out to the beautiful and comfortable. This allows the viewer to also zoom into the terror and then retreat to a more comfortable place. Over time this allows one to move closer to acceptance of their own fear and discomfort.
Natalia Laluq displays a remarkable openness in her work, allowing her to create works where the divergent, difficult and opposite are allowed to co-exist.
Polina Limina